Submarine



June 25, 1929.

B. H. PLUMME SUBMARINE Filed lay 8, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2,5,1v 1929. 5.1-1. PLUMMER I 6 18.

' suamalus Filed May a, 1928 a Sheets-Sheet s Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERT H. PLUMMER, OF RIFLE, COLORADO,

assrenon or own-Har r- 'ro EDWARD w.

R. mortar-00x, or RIFLE, coLonAno.

SUBMARINE.

Application filed Maya, 1928. Serial No. 276,138.

My invention relates to improvements in submarines and particularly to salvage means therefor.

Briefly stated the invention has for its primary object to provide in connection with a submarine a novel and improved salvage apparatus, which. can' be operated from the submarine while it is submerged and in a disabled condition.

The invention also resides in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of r the various partsand in modes of operat on to be hereinafter described and claimed,- and for a better understanding of the subject matter reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is to be understood that the invention as illustrated and described is to be taken merely, as one mechanicalexpreslustrating one of the hoisting bags in collapsed position,and also the cable supporting buoy andits superposed auxiliary buoy collapsed and ready for use;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view 0 the air line and cable drum;

Figure 5 is a broken view partly in elevation and partly in section showing. gas and air supply connections for the upper and lower air inlet, hose-supporting buoys; and gure 6 is a cross-sectional view illus- Fi trating the operating means for the compartment closures.

. Referring specifically to the drawings, the submarine 1 is shown as being provided with a deck 1 which is shown provided with a pair of holes 2,one forward and one aft,

there being also a third hole 3 which is preferably located at the stern, as shown.

. I Holes 2 open into compartments 4 whichare bolted to the under surface of the deck framing, as indicated at 4. A similar housing 91; compartment 6 bolted, as at 7, to

the deck 1 for communication with hole 3. The inflatable hoisting bags 8 are adapted to be collapsed in compartments 4, as shown in Figure '3, and the buoys 9, 10 are adapted to be collapsed in the stern compartmentf6 in superposed relationship uponthedrum 11 on which is wound the tubular cable 15 connected through buoy 1.0 to buoy ,9. Holes 2, 3 are adapted to be closed by sliding closures 2 3? working in guides 4*, 6 which are preferably formed integral with the,

housings 4, 6,said closures 2, 3 being actuated by-geared rollers 2", 3" meshing with racks 2, 3 respectively, formed upon the bottom of closures 2, 3.

' Figure 4 illustrates that the main air suppacking gland 13 of drum shaft bearing 14 with the end of tubular cable 15, which is at tached to the chambered end 16 of drum ply pipe 12 has communication through the shaft 16. The attachment of tubular cable 15 to drum shaft 16 maybe in any preferred manner, preferably by a clamp annulus of any preferred form.

It is noted that the electric light cable 18 (which is heavily insulated) leads through tubular cable 12 to illuminate the signal lamps 19, 20 of the respective buoys 9, 10, as indicated in Figure 1,-the current being supplied from the dynamo 21 which is driven by means not shown. The dynamo 21 is carried in a housing 22. Housing 22 may be secured to the deck 1', as shown.

Assuming that the submarine has'submerged and met with an accident or for some reason is unable to blow its air tanks clear of water,the first thing to do is to manipulate the gear roller 3 to open the closure 3. This having been done the valve in pipe line 24, 24 is opened to allow the compressed lighter-than-air gas from tank-25 to esca e therefrom to inflate the upper buoy 9,- e end of pipe section 24 being threaded into the valved inlet fitting 26 of buoy 9, as shown in Figure 5, and being releasable, as for instance by unscrewing section 24 of pipe 24 from inlet 26. Pipe section" 24 extends through a packing glandin the wall of housing 6 and since it is screwed into bracketcarried sleeve 50 and spaced from the end of main pipe 24 therein,-it may be screwed axiall toward the end of 24 to disengage its end mm the valved inlet 26 of buoy 9. Face lugs 26 of the terminal 26 engage in shallow holes in the partition to h01d'26 from turning. Pipe 30,- 30 connected to the inlet 31 of buoy 10 is similar to pipe 24 previously described, and communicates with the compressed air chamber 32 from which the flow of compressed air is controlled by a valve 33. The buoys 9, 10 having been inflated and pipes 24, 30 disconnected therefrom the winding drum (which has already been given a couple of turns to pay out suflicient cable to dispose the buoys 9, 10 above the deck'l) will now be released so that the buoys 9, 10 may rise to the surface ofthe water. Preferably the drum 11 has connection with a depth meter (not shown) so that-whenthe buoys reach the surface of the water the occupants'of the vessel will have the opportunity of knowing how far they are below the surface.

It will be manifest that the balloon or buoy 9 being filled with gas lighter-than-air will remain above the surface of the water,

thus being discernible from a considerable distance. It has already been stated that this buoy has a signal lamp 19, as shown,

and this will be illuminated so that the buoy will be readily seen at night. The tubular cab1e 15 extends above the buoy 9 andsince the latter is well above the water there will be no danger of water being drawn into the submarine through the cable under the action of the air pump 35 which is disposed in the air ipe 12. he buoys 9, 10 having been inflated and permitted to rise to the surface drawing with them the cable of tubing 15, the closures 2 are opened by manipulation of the geared rollers. 2 The water from hose 15 having been drained, pump 35, which is driven by a motor (not shown), is

now put into actlon drawing air in through the hose 15 and forcing it through the pipe 12 and branch pipes 12 into the'hoses 12 of balloons or hoisting bags 8, the hoisting bags 8 are connected by a cable 38 to the bottom of the housings 4 and secured to the frame work of the submarine, (not shown). The hoisting bags or balloons 8 will readily assume the position shown in Figure 1, and

when they have been inflated to a de ee approaching the maximum. the submarine Wlll.

begin to rise and will continue to rise with increasing rapidity as the bags are further inflated.

The submarine may have a suitable motordriven pump 40, indicated generally in Figure 1, and located forwardly of the hull for discharging foul air from the ship. The air supply pipe 12 may have a valve 0 ening communicating With'the interior of t e hull for supplying. fresh air thereto, said valve opening being indicated at 41.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompan ing drawings it is believed that the novel eatures and advantages of my invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Manifestly it is within the scope of the invention to use any number of hoisting bags 8 and chambers 4 therefore. Likewise dynamo 21 may be eliminated and current supplied from the usual storage batteries,-or the dynamo may be driven by hand. Furthermore wires 18 can be used as telephone wires in relief work. The boat once elevated, pontoons can be used if desired when towing to dry dock although the bags 8 will serve satisfactorily.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a submarine having a hull opening, a housing communicating with said opening, a closure for said housing and means for operating the same, a pair of inflatable bags in said housin means for inflatingone of said bags witi lighter than air gas, means for inflating the other bag, a cable attached to said bag for connecting the same in spaced relationship, and said cable carrying electric current wire, said inflatable bags having electric signal lamps inserted with said wire.

2. In a submarine having a compartment, said compartment communicating through a hull opening, a closure for said hull opening, a pair of inflatable balloons in said compartment, a cable for connecting said balloons in spaced relationship, means for inflating said balloons with air, said submarine having means for sup lying a lighter than air gas to said other ba loons or buoys, said second mentioned balloon being above said first one, electric signals carried by said balloons, said cablebeing attached to said submarine, and means for supplying electric current to said signal through said cable.

3. In a submarine having a plurality of compartments opening through the hull, closures for said compartments, an inflatable hoisting ba housing in one of said compartments and iavin means attaching it to the hull, an air con uit having communication with said hoisting bag, an air pressure pump associated with said conduit for supplying air to said bag, an inflatable buoy in another compartment, compressed air supply means for inflating said buoy, and a tubular cable connected to said buoy and communicating with said air. supply conduit, said buoy being adapted to rise to the surface of the water with said tubular cable whereby to supply an air inlet means for said pump and conduit, said tubular cable extending above said inflatable buoy, a second inflatable be suspended in the air with the end of the tubular cable well above the water.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1,-

and releasable means operable from without the housings for disconnecting the bags from said inflating means.

5; In a submarine having a plurality of compartments opening through the hull, closures for said compartments, an inflatable hoisting bag housing in one of said compartments and having means attaching it to the hull, an air conduit having communication with said hoisting bag, an air ressure pump associated with said conduit :tor sup plying air to said bag, an inflatable buoy in another compartment, compressed air supply means for inflating said buoy, and a tubular cable connected to said buoy and communicating with said air supply conduit, said buoy being adapted to rise to the surface of the water with said tubular cable whereby to supply an air inlet means for said pump and conduit, said tubular cable extending above said inflatable buoy, a second inflatable buoy attached adjacent the free end of said cable and above said first buoy, means for inflating said second buoy with a lighter than air gas whereby the second buoy will be suspended in the air with the end of the tubular cable well above the water and visual signal means carried by said buoys.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BERT H. PLUMMER. 

